Nice To Meet You, Ken-chan...
by Hakkiri
Summary: An unconscious fifteen-year-old gets her stay at the Kamiya dojo, unannounced. Kenshin and Kaoru has no choice but to let the girl stay. Her name? It's Tomoe Yukishiro. And guess what? Kenshin isn't the only one who knows the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu now.
1. The Acquaintance...

Nice To Meet You, Ken-chan… Chapter: 1-The Acquaintance… By: Chibi-Akane-chan2 

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A.N.-Don't ask…this may sound like one heck of a weird story but, um….I dunno….just read it to humor my poor and what's-left sanity…by the way, if you want to read this story, you're gonna have to brew up on some of your Japanese; I will use quite a few phrases in this story.  I suggest you study some before you read this.

Disclaimers: Spare me…I didn't even get to see how Watsuki-san looks like yet, dang it!!! _;;;

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            "Kenshin!!!!!!!!!!!!"

            The surprised rurouni "oro'd" and tripped from his on-a-roll wiping run, landing headfirst on the halfway-cleaned floor.  He slowly staggered up and rubbed his head with his right and with the washcloth still clutched in his left.  He grunted and stood up patting his somewhat sooted white hakama.

            "Nani de gozaru, Kaoru-dono?!" Kenshin called back as he hurried to Kaoru slightly concerned.

            He ran to the dojo but she didn't seem to be there practicing.  Kenshin blinked.  Kaoru was always here in the dojo practicing…unless—just then he smelled a raucous scent and realized black smoke was entering the dojo…

            _Shimatta…if she's not here…then she's probably…_

He ran as fast as he could in the kitchen trying not to faint from the horrible smell of burnt taro .  In a small part of his mind he was wondering how in the world she managed to actually _burn_ taro.  He coughed as he fanned his hand in front of his face grimacing.  He managed to see a disgusted kendo mistress throw a burnt piece of…something…out of the window.  

            "Kaoru-dono!  Kaoru-dono!  Daijoubu de gozaru ga?" he said urgently as he tried to squint through the haze of black.  Little by little, the smoke made its way out the window and gradually everything reverted almost back to normal.  Kenshin coughed a little and approached Kaoru who was leaning against the counter, her head hanging.

            "Ano…Ka-Kaoru-do.."

            He was interrupted as a teary-eyed Kaoru with two fists cuddled up to her chin popped in front of him.

            "Oro!" Kenshin jumped as he sweatdropped.

            "Keeen…shiiiin…I messed up my…ta-taro…."

            "I'm sure it was just an accident…that—that it was.."

            Kenshin just gave her a sheepish grin as he put his hand behind his head.  He walked to the counter and saw that half of it was practically charcoal.  He cringed.

            "We-well…we may as well clean up, that we will..and…Kaoru-dono?  Kaoru-dono?  Are you listening to me?"

            He turned around and saw that Kaoru was in a red chef outfit and had a white bandanna tied around her forehead looking all charged up once more.  Oh!  The horror!!

            "YOOOOOOSHIIIIIAAA!!!!!!!!!!" Kaoru bellowed ready to cook once more.

            Kenshin sweatdropped and put his hands up.

            "Su-sukoshi matte…" Kenshin said nervously, "maybe it's better that I cook and—DA-ME!  Don't put that in!!!  ERK!!  Not that either!  NO!  That's baking soda not baking powder!  Yamero!  AHHH!!!  DON'T PUT THAT—"

::BOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!::

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            Yahiko and Sanosuke jumped as they heard a scream from a familiar redheaded wanderer and then a loud explosion from inside the house.  Yahiko stopped practicing with his bokken, sat down on the grass, and turned his head to the kitchen—or at least what's left of it.

            "Oi!!  Busu!!  What the hell did you do this time?!"

            Kenshin coughed and looked out with a slight annoyed expression on his face.

            Sanosuke walked to where Yahiko was sitting chewing on a piece of grass.

            "Jou-chan, eh…?  Then I don't even gotta guess," he said as he rolled his eyes.

            "Well…at-at least she's moti-ti…" he trailed off as he turned around sensing something VERY dangerous behind him.  So dangerous he almost regretted it when he was turned halfway.  It was an enraged Kaoru looking ten times bigger than he was.

            "YOU WERE ABOUT TO INSULT MY COOKING, WEREN'T YOU?!?!  YOU LET MY BLOW UP MY OWN KITCHEN ON PURPOSE, DIDN'T YOU?!!  IS THIS THE THANKS I GET FOR LETTING YOU FREELOAD ON ME??!!!"

            "OrOoOoOo…" Kenshin said before he fainted all swirly-eyed, his nerves taking its toll.

            Yahiko slapped his palm on his forehead and sweatdropped,

            "Matta-ku…"

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

            Amazingly, after six excruciatingly long hours, they finally got the kitchen somewhat renovated.

            "Che…well it's better than nothin'," Sanosuke remarked.

            "Yeah, well…busu didn't even help," Yahiko panted, exhausted

            "Maa, maa…she went to go get take-out," Kenshin said as he tried to assuage the two grumbling companions, a little whipped out himself.

            "Kono busu…" Yahiko murmured.  Sanosuke thwapped him upside the head.

            "NANI SUNDE?!?!"

"I'm just boppin' ya for her," he grinned.

            Yahiko muttered.

            Kenshin laughed and cleaned up the remnants on the floor as Kaoru came back a while later with five bentos in her hand.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

            When they finished eating, Kaoru ordered Yahiko that it was time to practice again.

            "Aww!  But the dojo still reeks, I tell ya!"

            Kaoru groaned, not liking how he reminded of her of the last incident, and said,

            "Alright!  Alright!  We'll train outside then!  Honestly!"

            Just as everybody was about to clean up and get ready about their business, a panicked scream through the Kamiya dojo gates startled them,

            "TASUKETE KURE!!!"

            Kenshin was instantly alarmed and ran out with his Sakaba sword.

            "Nani de gozaru ga?!"

            Kenshin and the others followed him.  As they reached the gates, they saw a bloody and almost on the brink-of-death man supporting an unconscious girl up.  The man was wearing a gray outfit that was ripped and torn and spotted with his blood along with his Japanese thong sandals.  His head was bald, making his look older than he really was.  He looked up at the group and with last pleading eyes said,

            "Pl-please…he-help my….dau-daughter…"

            He then fell to the floor dead, his grasp on his daughter loose.  Kaoru kneeled over the man to see he was certainly dead.

            "Sonna…" she said feeling so sorry for him.

            "Go make a grave, Sano.  Kaoru-dono and I will accompany this girl.  Yahiko, go with Sanosuke," Kenshin said solemnly yet in a tone where it sounded like there was no more room for making any more comments.

            Sanosuke and Yahiko carefully carried the man out of the dojo as Kenshin and Kaoru look at their retreating figures.

            "We better take her inside, Kenshin,"

            He nodded in agreement.  They took her inside Kenshin's room and layed her on his futon.  Kaoru wringed out a washcloth and placed it on the girl's forehead.  The girl seemed to be calm and collective on the outside, but Kenshin knew better.  He knew.  He knew that inside of her was turmoil.  He could feel it.  Her soul was of something that cannot be rested for some reason.  Her face was of the same color shade as Kaoru but the similarity ended there.  Her hair was very very dark blue as it sprawled out the futon, shining light blue.  Even though Kaoru also had dark blue hair, this girl's shade of hair was different somewhat.  She was wearing a white yukata with black praying beads on her left wrist.  He also noticed a hilt next to her waist and realized that she too carried a sword.  She seemed to be of Kaoru's age though Kenshin could not be sure.  A tired moan interrupted his train of thought.

            "Oro….where-where am…" the girl wondered groggily.  All of a sudden she seemed to be fully awake as she sprang from her futon the washcloth falling to her lap from her forehead.

            "Otousan!  Otousan!  Where are you?!" she said feverishly as she turned her head in all different directions urgently.

            "Please, calm down," Kaoru coaxed as she placed a gentle grip on the girl's shoulders and then gradually hugged her.  The girl slightly grasped onto Kaoru's clothes in the embrace as she started to sob in Kaoru's chest.

            "Shi—shikashi…otousan!" she sobbed.

            "Gomen nasai," Kenshin said trying to ignore the fact that she just also said "oro".  The girl jumped at his voice as she turned to face him, blinking.  Kaoru let go of her as the girl turned her face down the floor her bangs shadowing her eyes.

            "Otousan's dead…isn't he…?" she whispered already knowing the answer.

            "Two of my friends…are making a proper grave for him right now," Kaoru quietly said, choosing her words carefully.

            "I see…arigatou de gozaru," she whispered again as she looked up.  Kenshin and Kaoru slightly jumped.  She had the brightest emerald eyes they had ever seen!  Both of them exhaled.

            "Anytime, er…um…"

            The girl noticed Kaoru trailing off and remembered her manners.

            "Sumimasen de gozaru," she said apologetically, "atashi wa Yu-Yu-Yukishiro…Yukishiro To-Tomoe desu.  Yo—yo…yoroshiku ne," Tomoe stuttered somewhat nervous as she bowed in her sitting place on Kenshin's bed.

            "Ah...sooka!  Tomoe-chan…yoroshiku!" Kaoru greeted cheerfully.

            As for Kenshin, his eyes were wide as he inhaled sharply.  Unfortunately, he inhaled a bit TOO sharply as he started to choke.

            "Kenshin?  What's wrong…?" Kaoru asked tilting her head.

            "No-nothing..." Kenshin lied as he coughed.

            "Hmm…oh, alright then," Kaoru smiled oblivious of what really went through the rurouni's head, "tonikaku-tonikaku, where is your mother, Tomoe-chan?"

            "She's dead," Tomoe replied tersely.

            Kaoru seemed a bit taken aback by her directness and lack of enthusiasm and realized that no matter how beautiful her eyes were, there seemed to be no life in them whatsoever.  Kaoru observed that her eyes were distant yet they seemed to carry emotion at the same time.  She couldn't get why they were like this.  It must be something deeper…

            "Well then, um…where do you live…?" Kaoru asked trying to change the subject.

            "I don't live anywhere; I'm a slave…and so were my parents,"

            "A slave de gozaru?" Kenshin asked questioningly, "of who…?"

            Tomoe didn't say anything nor did she look at him.  Kaoru noticed the tension and silently berated Kenshin for his lack of manners as she tried a different tactic. 

            "Oh jeez…where are my manners, Tomoe-chan?" Kaoru said in fake sheepishness, "let me introduce us.  Atashi wa Kamiya Kaoru desu to kare wa Himura Kenshin desu,"

            She noticed Tomoe blushed and asked her what was wrong.

            "Well, it's just that…nobody has every called me To…Tomoe-chan before in my life,"

            "Honto?  Well then, I'm glad to be your first!  If you want, you can call me Kao-chan and call Kenshin Ken-chan!  Wouldn't that be kawaii, _Ken-chan_?"

            Tomoe gave Kenshin and Kaoru a cryptic expression before she looked back down.

            "Ehehehehe…I'd get embarrased though, Kaoru-dono," he said as he smiled embarrassed and rubbed the back of his head.

            "Mou!!  Aren't you a man or aren't you a man?!"

            Kenshin hung his head and sweatdropped.  He heard a giggle and looked up.  Tomoe was giggling at the whole scene.

            "Ever since I was little, I thought sibling rivalry was always a little silly…"

            Kenshin and Kaoru facefaulted.

            _SIBLING rivalry?!!?!_  they both thought.

"Oro…." Tomoe murmured, "did I say…something wrong…?"  

She began to look uncertain again like she did from the beginning.  She thought maybe it was better that she left.

            "I'm…sorry…" she apologized in shame as she got up.

            "No wait!  Don't leave!" Kaoru cried as she grabbed a hold of Tomoe's hand, "why not just LIVE with us…?!  I mean, you don't have anywhere to live right?"

            The green-eyed girl was silent for a moment, then she said,

            "I just…don't want it to be an imposition, that's all…" 

            "If it were my house Tomoe-dono, then I'd be very glad to let you stay," Kenshin said with a smile on his face.  Both girls heard a sharp edge in his voice as he said "Tomoe".

            "Kenshin…are you SURE nothing's wrong with you?"

            "Hai, I'm sure de gozaru ga," he assured trying his best to look cheerful.

            "…Okay then, if you say so…" Kaoru trailed off, not really sure whether to believe him or not.

            "A-re…will you really let me stay here, Kaoru-san?"

            Kaoru gave her a look.

            "Oro…I mean, Kao-chan?"

            "Of COURSE I do!  I need more of a girl surrounding here than men for pigs!"

            Kenshin sweatdropped.

            "Well…"

            "Am I hearing a declination?" Kaoru said in mock threatening.

            "Demo……some people may be after me and I don't want to put you people in danger…" she trailed off.

            "Daijoubu!!  You're talking to the assistant master of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu here!  Besides, aren't you a pracititioner of some kind of Budo?" Kaoru inquired pointing at Tomoe's sword sheath that was inserted snugly between the fabrics of her waist.

            "Well…yes I am, actually.  I'm from a…Samurai family," Tomoe hesitantly worded.

            _A Samurai family de gozaru ga? _Kenshin thought in slight surprise as he stood up.

            "What is your style, Tomoe-dono?"

            Silence.

            "Tomoe-dono?"

            "Mou!  Stop prying on the poor girl!"

            "How old are you?" Kenshin asked ignoring Kaoru's protest.

            "I'm…" 

            "How old are you?" Kenshin repeated sounding more authoritive.

             "I'm…fifteen years old,"

            Kaoru gawked,

            "That's not fair!!  I'm seventeen and you already have a bigger chest than I do!" she blurted.

            Tomoe had a "deer-caught-in-the-head-lights" expression on her face whereas Kenshin "oro'd" and blushed.

            "Oops…" Kaoru said forgetting a man was in there.  Then came her next reaction: Anger… 

"Kenshin!!  SUUUKEBEEEE!!  What are you doing here listening to us?!"

            Her fist enlarged five times as she right jabbed Kenshin across the face.

            "OROOOOOOO..." Kenshin moaned with swirly eyes as he fell to the floor unconscious.  Tomoe sweatdropped, feeling quite afraid of Kaoru at the moment.

            "Oro…it's not his fault, Kaoru-sa…Kao-chan,"

            Kaoru exhaled through her nose.

            "And why do you keep on talking like Kenshin, dang it?!"

            Tomoe blinked.

            "Wa…wakaranai de gozaru…" 

            Kaoru sighed and replied in return as she put her hands on his hips,

            "Maa, maa…it has a kawaii ring on you,"

            Tomoe blushed, not used to being complimented all the time,

            "You…really think so?"

            "HONTO ni!  Saa!  Let me show you to your room…"

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A.N.-Okay…first off, the girl who has the name of Kenshin's ex-wife has nothing to do with her.  She's not a reincarnation of her or anything.  She just happened to have the same name as the original Tomoe Yukishiro did coincidentally.  Of course Ken-chan here, whether he likes it or not, is still affected by this.  As for Kaoru, she doesn't know everything of Kenshin's past just yet.  It's sort of a little after where they first meet Marimo, the "Human Bullet" episode.  As for her talking like Kenshin, there's actually a reason behind all of that…I'm just…not telling you what it is just yet^_^;;;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          


	2. Hajimemashite, Ken-chan...

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Nice To Meet You, Ken-chan…__

_Chapter: 2-Hajimemashite, Ken-chan…_

By: Chibi Akane-chan2 

**A.N.-There's really not much to say about this chapter.  As for ppl who e-mailed me asking if there will be romance involved, I'll have to think about that; I don't like the idea of Kenshin being a pedophilic person.  But I'd also like to take in consideration of the readers, so I'll think about it ^_^**

**Disclaimers:  I created Tomoe Yukishiro!!!!  MUAHAHAHA!!!  ::audience snickers::  Wha---??  I did!!  Well…sort of…. ::audience starts throwing tomatoes and what not at the author::  AHHH!!!!  I'm serious!  C'mon!!!  ACK….**

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            "This'll be your room, Tomoe-chan!  Saa!  Kudasai ne!" Kaoru enthusiastically stated as she slid the Japanese door opened.  The room was surprisingly spacious considering that Kaoru wasn't exactly opulent.  There was an extra tatami mat rolled neatly waiting for someone to sleep in, a little lantern, and a closet.

            Tomoe mildly gawked at Kaoru's hospitality…it was not in her ability to actually gawk in the first place.  She absentmindedly fingered her white yukata…well, more like the undercloth of a yukata at least; it was not her place to wear an actual yukata and she knew it too.  Her father and mother worked so hard to get a yukata for her since she was a girl and a descendant from a samurai family...her samurai family….

She hated it…

But their owner, in blind rage, ripped the beautiful outside cloth of it and at the same time sneering that a worthless girl for a slave like her didn't deserve anything.  He had tossed it to the floor in a heap in front of her kneeling parents as he stalked away, whipping the floor at another slave who seemed to be resting because of a stomachache from malnutrition.  As she turned her head to her parents, there were tears at the corner of their eyes and she realized how hard they had worked for it.  She had walked slowly up to her kneeling parents….

_~*~Flashback~*~_

_            "O-otousan…?  Oka-okaasan…?  Dai—daijoubu de gozaru…ga…?" she quietly asked._

_            There was no reply as they were still kneeling there, heads still hanging.  She slowly bent down and picked up the soiled and torn yukata in both of her hands.  She looked up and saw the fearful yet weary eyes of her most beloveds.  She smiled gently with closed eyes and said,_

_            "Arigatou…"_

_            Her father's eyes shimmered in guilt,_

_            "Gomen nasai, Tomoe-chan…kono yukata wa—"_

_            "Iie," she interrupted, "I love it so very much!  Ureshii de gozaru yo!  Even though the outside is torn, I can always wear the inside of it…see?  It's a bit soiled but it's not the least bit damaged,"_

_            Both of them opened their mouths then slowly smiled appreciatively toward their only daughter._

_            "Dou itashimashite…" they both replied in unison._

_~*~End Flashback~*~_

            "Oisuuuu?!  Earth to Tomoe-chan!!" Kaoru called as she waved her hand at Tomoe's face.  After she introduced her to her room, she instantly spaced out.  Then her eyes formed a very cryptic expression…it was just like the one she saw once she met her; distant and empty yet emotional.  Tomoe started, as she blinked rapidly,

            "Ah!  Su-su-sumimasen de gozaru…wha-what were you just saying?" Tomoe stuttered as she blushed in embarrassment.

            "I was just introducing you to your room and then you went out on me,"

            "Naru hodo…gomen ne…" she quietly apologized.

            "It's alright, Tomoe-chan!  No harm done!" she exuberantly spoke up as she gave her a big slap on the back causing her to topple over…and then fall on somebody.

            "Oro!" Tomoe cried out, her voice muffled.

            "Daijoubu de gozaru ga?" a concerned voice addressed to her.

            "Eh…?" she wondered aloud as she stood up to take a look at who stopped her fall.

            It was Kenshin.

            "Ah!!  Gomen ne, Tomoe-chan!  Daijoubu?!" Kaoru cried out as she rushed by her side.

            "I'm ok…an-shin shite, Kao-chan," she replied with a smile.

            Kaoru sighed in relief,

            "Ahhh…yokatta na…I was too enthusiastic about you staying here that I sort of lost control,"

            Kenshin looked down at the flushed girl thoughtfully.  He observed that she tended to space out and would be very unalert when wariness was needed.  He slightly frowned when Tomoe snuck a glance at him and then instantly turned beet red.

            "Maa…I need to be going now…do be more careful, Tomoe-dono," Kenshin said before he made his departure out the dojo gates.  There was something in the "do be more careful" part that turned Tomoe's spines and legs on a chill.  She gripped her katana, unconsciously and then turned around while giving a last sideways glance towards Kenshin's direction.  She then felt her cheeks with her clammy hands…they were fairly warm.  Why was she blushing in front of him?  She knew the reason…it was embarrassment, it was shame, and it was…

            "Tomoe-chan!  Come here quick!  I want to show you the dojo!" Kaoru's voice called from a distance.

            "Hai!" she called back as she ran toward Kaoru's voice.

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            Kenshin strolled down the outside local Japanese marketplace with a basket of salmon in his left hand.  He looked down in slight apprehension…why…he wouldn't know.  There was something about that girl.  She wasn't what she seemed to be; he knew there was more about her than she was letting on.  Then he felt nostalgic as he closed his eyes.  He continued on reprimanding himself that it was just a name.  There should be many Tomoe Yukishiro's out there.  He shouldn't feel so uptight about it nor should it involve Kaoru…

            Kaoru-dono…

            Now how did she pop up in his mind?  Was it because she was talking to a girl who had the same name as his ex-wife?  Was it because she kept on calling her "Tomoe-chan"?  Why was he still feeling uneasy?

            He continued to walk…toward the path of the Kamiya dojo, with only salmon in the basket…

            There was something else he wanted to know about Tomoe…

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            "Oi!!  Jou-chan!!  We're finished!" a low voice shouted from outside.

            "Kaoru!  We're home!" another voice called out, this time more boyish-like.

            "Ah!!  Sanosuke!!  Yahiko!!  Did it go by well?" Kaoru asked as she ran out.

            Kaoru then sweatdropped.

            Both Sanosuke and Yahiko's faces were blue…as if they had just seen a ghost.

            "….Doushita no..?" she slowly asked.

            There was a moment of silence before Yahiko spoke up,

            "Aw, rather not talk about it right now…"

            "Oh…I see…well, ok…I want you guys to say hello to Tomoe-chan,"

            "Tomoe-chan?" they asked at the same time.

            "Hai…" a girl replied as she walked out of the shadows and stopped behind Kaoru.

            "Hey…you're that girl…" Yahiko started…then he stopped.  Sanosuke seemed to have the same effect.  She had some eyes!  They were the perfect replicas for emeralds…almost unreal.  Sanosuke recovered quickly as he addressed to Kaoru,

            "Well…it's done and I know he'll rest in peace…" he quickly stole a glance to Tomoe's direction.  She was looking at something so he dismissed her, "but oi…are you ok, Tomoe?"

            "…"

            "Hello…?!  Anybody home?!" Sanosuke lingered.

            Still no answer.

            Kaoru, all of a sudden sighed in exasperation…

            "What?  Oi, Yahiko…what do you think's wrong with jou-chan this time?  Yahiko?  Ooooiiii…!"

            He turned to face Yahiko and saw him staring at Tomoe, with his face crimson.  Sanosuke grinned and was about to make a dry remark until he saw Tomoe was staring back at him…but there was something about her expression.  There was no feeling to it.  He turned back to Kaoru who nodded with a sweatdrop, indicating that that was what she was sighing about.

            With one last glance at the enigmatic girl, he gave Yahiko a big thunk on the head.

            "Ittaaaiii!!!  NANI SUNAI YO??!!!  Why do you keep on doing that, omae?!" Yahiko yelled as he jumped atop of Sanosuke's shoulders and chomped on his head.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            "Tadaima de gozaru," Kenshin called as he went in the Kamiya dojo gates.  Nobody was outside.  He turned his head right to left wondering why it was so quiet.  He then assumed that the place was empty…until he heard a…

            "KYAAAHH!!!" Kaoru screamed.

            "Ah!" his eyes widened in instant alarm as he dropped his basket in an instant as he ran to Kaoru's room and slid her door open quickly without thinking…to find Kaoru half naked in the middle of putting on her yukata.  Her flower vase was toppled over and had spilt water on a heap of clothing.  He immediately knew what happened…and then his mistake finally dawned on him…

            "KENSHIN!!!!  Are you completely _shameless_?!" Kaoru growled as she gave him a look that promised death so fast that he wouldn't be able to have time to pay for his funeral in advance.

            "Ka-ka-Kaoru-dono…sukoshi matte…I can explain myself!" Kenshin stuttered as he put his hands up for fruitless protection, trying to avade his gaze off of Kaoru.

            "Why aren't you leaving, you idiot?!"

            "Ah!  Hai!  I forgot!" as he ran out and quickly slid the door closed behind him, sweatdropping.

            "Why couldn't you have KNOCKED before you barged in, huh?!" Kaoru's voice came out from the room, "jeez…I just accidentally spilled water on my yukata so I had to change…why can't I get some decent privacy for once?!"

            "Sumimasen de gozaru yo…it's my own fault…is there anything I can do to make up for what I have done?" he quietly said his back still facing the door.

            There was a rustling of clothing and then a moment of silence.  From inside, Kaoru could see Kenshin's outline profile and she looked down and sighed in weariness.

           "Actually….there is…"

            "Hai…?" Kenshin asked as he turned around.

            She turned her head to the door as her expression softened,

            "Will you talk to Tomoe-chan?"

            There was an eight-second silence.

            "…why…?"

            Kaoru blinked as she tried to come up with a response and then she thought of something,

            "Ah…I…….I mean…you don't hate her or anything do you..?"

            "That's what I should be really asking you, Kaoru-dono…"

            "What…?  I don't think I understa—"

            "You do not have to….I will go look for her…ja,"

            She heard his footsteps and saw his profile leave.

            "Kenshin…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Tomoe put on a rare smile as she cut the vegetables to add to the soup.  Like Kenshin, she reasoned that since she was given a place to stay for free she may as well do the chores around the house everyday as a sign of her gratitude.  She dumped the vegetables in the boiling pot of water and stirred.  She went to another boiling pot to check on the everyday normal miso soup.  She covered both pots with their lids and went outside to hang the laundry.  She hung them quickly yet meticulously so as the clothes wouldn't fall off.  It was like that back at the field….except that she was hanging up her owner's clothes and was being whipped at the same time for doing any little trivial mistake that had been done.  She shuddered and closed her eyes tight in fear as a wave of nausea crashed over her stomach back and forth.  She clenched onto the cloth tightly as she shook.  She didn't want to go back…she didn't want anybody to hit her or touch her like that…she didn't want any of that…she wanted her parents back…she wanted a normal family life…she wanted to get out of this trauma…

            Kenshin was walking outside the hallway looking for Tomoe and he turned his head to the left.  He blinked and frowned with calculating eyes as he saw her clenching onto his sleeping hakama and shaking.  His frown deepened as he approached to her slowly and put one hand on her shoulder from behind her,

            "Tomoe-dono…?"

            Tomoe shook…she wanted to get out of this…she wanted to live peacefully…she couldn't get that familiar raw feeling to hold back in…and when someone put a hand on her shoulder her eyes flew open.

            All those years of training in secret…all those hardships…and everything that the owner did to her and her family…she gasped as she felt herself losing it.  All her primal instincts and fear covered and muddled up her rationality and reason.  She spun around, her eye color turning into blood red as all of "her" disappeared.  A rare snarl formed on her lips as she used her right hand and grabbed her katana that was on her left side…

And with pure anger, she attacked…

            "HITEN MITSURUGU RYU!  RYUU TSUI SEN!!!" she screamed.

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**A.N.-I'm glad that school will finally get out of the way for now…jeez…all that hw…it was killing me…I'm not sure when the third chapter will come out, but keep your eyes peeled ok?  Sore ja!  R +R!!!**


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